Geographica 9 Coastal Livelihoods A study of population and land-use in Noarootsi, Estonia 1690 to 1940 Hele Kiimann Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Autitorium Minus, Akademigatan 3, Uppsala, Friday, 26 February 2016 at 10:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Associate Professor Ulf Jansson (The Department of Human Geography, Stockholm University). Abstract Kiimann, H. 2016. Coastal livelihoods. A study of population and land-use in Noarootsi, Estonia 1690 to 1940. Geographica 9. 199 pp. Uppsala: Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-91-506-2527-1. This thesis investigates how the inhabitants formed the coastal landscape of northwest Estonia through both internal change and external impact by estate owners, provincial government and imperial decrees. Two villages on the largely Swedish populated Noarootsi peninsula, Einbi (Enby) and Kudani (Gutanäs), are examined in detail. The aim was to answer questions about how the local livelihoods and farming systems of coastal inhabitants changed from the late 1600s to 1940. The background of a gradual weakening of the manorial estate system from 1800 onwards and a rapid development of freehold family farming from the 1860s is important to the analysis. To examine the complex variety of factors and interactions that shape the landscape, an interdisciplinary approach to change has been used. This approach included a conceptual model for the local production unit, such as the individual farm. Information from historical maps, diverse population registers and agricultural censuses were used. The soil cover was examined with samples taken during fieldwork in the studied villages. The study shows how the development of two villages in fairly similar geographic settings differed largely due to socio-political restrictions. During feudal times, the primary changes were related to the fact that local nobility could maintain their land ownership rights and regulations for manorial deliveries and corvée duties. Changes to natural conditions, such as soil quality and land uplift, had no substantial effect on land productivity. From the 19th century, the most important factor was the legalized opportunity to purchase farms as freeholds from estates, as well as through land reforms in an independent Estonia. The traditional niche of coastal Swedish peasants, who depended on a variety of productive activities, remained in practice. As all manor land was nationalized, many new smallholdings and crofts were created based on external activities by inhabitants, such as farm day labor. Farm productivity was now increased primarily by improvement to land quality (use of artificial fertilizers and meadow drainage), and by the introduction of new implements and crops on farms consolidated from open fields. Keywords: Noarootsi, Estonia, cartographical analysis, interdisciplinary study, soil cover change, landscape history, coastal peasants, Estonian-Swedish, feudal manor system, land reform. Hele Kiimann, Department of Social and Economic Geography, Box 513, Uppsala University, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden. © Hele Kiimann 2016 ISSN 0431-2023 ISBN 978-91-506-2527-1 urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-272469 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-272469) Map on cover: Gutanäs village 1690 (EAA 1.2.IV-254). Photo by Gabriel Gumucio. For my brother. Acknowledgements The landscapes, in both past and present, are fascinating objects of study. They are open to several interpretations. Landscapes in the north-west of Estonia comprise not only the physical features of an area – they also tell the story of people who lived there… My PhD studies started out as collaboration between Estonian and Swedish Universities. Coastal landscapes of Estonian-Swedish areas were the meeting point. This thesis is the result of research encom- passing multiple different knowledge areas and academic environ- ments. There are number of people I would like to thank for their contribution and support during this long journey. My research interest in coastal landscapes and small islands began during my years at the Institute of Ecology, Tallinn. First, I would like to show my deepest gratitude to Prof. Jaan-Mati Punning (in memoriam) and Loit Reintam (in memoriam) for their encouragement, support and constructive discussions. Special Thanks goes to Urve Ratas, Reimo Rivis and Hannes Tõnnisson for their great help and inspiring guidance. The fieldworks were supported by Priit Jõeäär and Raja Kährik, thank you for your help and effort with soil sampling and laboratory analysis. I would also like to express my sincerest Thanks to all the people in the archives in Tartu, Tallinn and Stockholm for your professional help and supportive enthusiasm for my research topic. Above all, I would like to show my deepest gratitude to my head supervisor at Uppsala University, Göran Hoppe, who introduced me the Estonian Swedish settlement studies in the Department of social and economic geography in Uppsala. You have generously given me good advice and encouraged the great freedom to find my own way forward and helped me to stay positive during the ups and downs. Thank you for your generosity and patience. Your help with readings as well as the help with archival materials has contributed greatly to this work! I am also thankful to my assistant supervisor Peeter Maan- di for your inspiring ideas and constructive discussions guiding me throughout my study. Thank you for believing in me. I'm also thank- ful to Tom Mels for your help and careful reading. For the time I spent in Oxford, I would like to express my gratitude for the stimulating work environment of the School of Geography, and especially to Jack Langton for the great hospitality he showed me when I was a visiting researcher at Saint John's College, and also to Elizabeth Baigent for her encouraging discussions about cartography and history. I'm very grateful to the Department of social and economic geog- raphy at Uppsala University. First I would like to thank those who have read the entire manuscript: Ann Grubbström, Ali Naijb, Ingvar Backéus, Hans Aldskogius, Christer Jonasson. Next, I would like to direct my gratitude to the all PhD students and other colleagues for your contributions and support. My three roomies: Tobias Fidholm, Cecilia Bygdell, Magdalena Cedering: Thank you very much for your friendship, academic support and funny conversations! Special Thanks are extended to Emma Holmquist, Camilla Maan- di, Danielle van der Burgt, Michael Gentile, Felicia Markus, Jenny Sjöholm, Gunnar Olsson, Christian Abrahamsson, Melissa Kelly, Anna-Klara Lindeborg, Erika Sigvardsdotter, Sofie Joosse, Karin Nibon, Sara Lång, Kati Kadarik, Ann Rodenstedt, Marcus Mohall, John Östh, Stefan Ene, Tsegaye Tegenu, Kjell Haraldsson, Lennart Strömquist, Olle Selinus, Clas Lindberg. To the department's administrative personnel Lena Dahlborg, Pamela Tipmanoworn, Karin Beckman, Susanne Stenbacka and Aida Aragao-Lagergren, I'm grateful for your professional guidance throughout my stay at the department. I would also thank the Swedish Royal Academy for Sciences and the Southern Swedish Geographical Society for the the generous grants I have been given from “The Margit Althin Scholarship Fund” and “General announcement for Geosciences including geography” and “Torsten Hägerstrands fond”. Also “Stiftelsen Konung Gustaf VI Adolfs fond för svensk kultur”. These funds made my visit to Oxford possible, as well as to conduct fieldworks in the study area. My dear friends: Annika, Gunnel, Anna, Clara, Johnnes, Jessica, Gabriel, Richard, Per, Jesper, Moonika, Sylvie, Sara, Nazariy, Ales- sandro, Carles, Berta, Marco, Caty, Ling, Anja, Ele, Inga, Helina, Monika and Nyki pere as well as my Lapland parents Pertti and Marja Saastamoinen. Thank you all for your love and encouragements! Last, but most importantly, my heartfelt gratitude to my family in Estonia for your constant support and your belief in me. Hannes, your humor was most needed when times were hard. Aitäh! Uppsala, 2015 December Abbreviations AI Institute of History, Estonian Academy of Sciences EAA Estonian History Archive EKK Estonian Map Centre ERA Estonian State Archive ERM Estonian National Museum GI Institute of Geology, Estonian Academy of Sciences IAES Laboratory of the Department of Soil Science and Agrochemistry INSPIRE Estonian Land Board: Geoportal KVA The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences LC Library of Congress (US) RA Swedish National Archive SOFI Institute of Language and Folklore Research, Uppsala SOV Cultural Society of Estonian Swedes SSGS Southern Swedish Geographical Society ÖI Institute of Ecology, Estonian Academy of Sciences The List of Figures Figure 1. Location map of Einbi and Kudani villages on the No- arootsi peninsula in northwest Estonia. Figure 2. Factors influencing change or continuity in the local land- scape of Noarootsi. D1 – Noarootsi landscape 1690-1840; D2 – land- scape 1840-1905; D3 – landscape 1905-1940. Figure 3. The mechanism of a local production unit in the Noarootsi area. Figure 4. The most productive arable fields are connected to the dis- tribution of till. Sandy areas can be found over nearly the entire pen- insula. Estonian Quaternary map 1: 400 000. Figure 5. Einbi and Kudani village approximately 1900 AD (1 m a s l) and Noarootsi peninsula in 2000 AD (0-0.5 m a s l ). Figure 6. The compiled figures of the development of the Noarootsi peninsula using the 1 m isobase equal the shoreline at approximately 1900 AD and the 4 meter level at approximately 600 AD. Figure 7. The present day land-use in the Noarootsi peninsula. Figure 8. Einbi village soil map. Figure 9. Kudani village soil map. Figure 13. Einbi village map (1698) field locations (marked with black contour) with soil profile locations (marked as symbol with star). Figure 14. Einbi village map (1861) field locations (marked with black contour) with soil profile locations (marked as symbol with star). Figure 15. Einbi village map (1886) field locations (marked with black contour) with soil profile locations (marked as symbol with star). Figure 17. Soil pit from Einbi fields (a) and soil pit (b) from Kudani fields.